Persimmon Salad
The best fall and holiday salad! A persimmon salad with pomegranate seeds, homemade pepita clusters, kale, avocado, goat cheese and a tangy dijon dressing.
Equipment
Ingredients
Persimmon Salad:
- 1 pound Fuyu persimmons, about 3-4 depending on size*
- 3 ounces arugula or chopped kale, about 3 cups
- 5 ounces baby kale or other green, I use this container of baby kale mix, which is exactly 5 ounces
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta, optional
- 1 medium avocado, cubed
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Candied Pepitas:*
- 1/3 cup pepitas
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- pinch cinnamon
- pinch cayenne pepper
- pinch cumin
- Flaky sea salt, for topping, optional
Sweet Dijon Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Make the pepitas. Place a piece of parchment paper or a silpat on the counter. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, add the pepitas, maple syrup and pinch of each: cinnamon, cayenne pepper and cumin. Let simmer for a few minutes until the syrup bubbles around the pepitas and starts to thicken, taking care not to burn. Place the pepitas onto the prepared parchment paper and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and let sit until cooled and hardened. Crumble with your hands into small pieces and set aside.
- In a medium mason jar or glass bowl, whisk together the shallot, mustard and vinegar until very well combined. Add in the honey or maple, cinamon, cumin and salt. If using a mason jar, add in the olive oil, then cap the jar and shake hard until well combined. If using a bowl, keep whisking the dressing as you slowly add in the olive oil. I like to taste the dressing on a piece of persimmon to taste it, and adjust as needed-- little more cayenne for heat, maple for sweetness, ect.
- Prep the Persimmons. Cut off the tough green tops and slice each persimmon in 10-12 wedges.
- In a large bowl, place the persimmons, greens, cheese, if using, and avocado. Add the dressing and toss to coat well, then turn the salad out into a nice plater and top with the pomegranate seeds and candied pepitas.
Notes
*They must be Fuyu persimmons as Hachiya persimmons won't work the same way. If you want to sub in Honeycrsip apples, that will work too.
*I love a sprinkle of flaky sea salt over these pepita crunches, but you can skip it. If you don't want to use these candied pepitas, you can use a purchased candied walnut or pecan. Trader Joe's sells these and my Sweet and Spicy rosemary nuts also work great!
*This one is also so good with roasted beets! You can roast them yourself or grab the ones sold in the produce section, like Love Beets. For added protein, I also like this with crispy tempeh bacon crumbles.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 545kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 8gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 570mgPotassium: 948mgFiber: 7gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 5823IUVitamin C: 135mgCalcium: 295mgIron: 5mg